Category Archives: Internet

Beware the Snoopers’ Charter Rising from the Grave…

Posted on April 26, 2013 by

The Communications Data Bill – the Snoopers’ Charter – is dead, so Nick Clegg has assured us. I hope he’s right – but we need to be very careful not only that it is dead, but that it is safely … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet, Snoopers charter, surveillance | 3 Comments

Internet Surveillance: a despot’s dream…

Posted on March 10, 2013 by

Imagine you’ve just been appointed the head of the online secret police for an oppressive dictatorship. Your leader comes to you with a worried expression. The internet bothers him, he tells you. People get to say whatever they want, to … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet, Privacy, Privacy International, Snoopers charter, surveillance | 16 Comments

They’re taking over the internet!

Posted on December 6, 2012 by

There’s a big story going around at the moment: the UN’s trying to take over the internet, or some variant of that. It’s all based on the current ITU proposals at the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) currently taking place … Continue reading →

Posted in Facebook, Freedom of expression, google, government, Internet, Piracy, Privacy, Snoopers charter | 10 Comments

Wishful thinking?

Posted on November 12, 2012 by

I was part of a panel at the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) conference earlier today, discussing the Communications Data Bill – and whether it struck an appropriate balance between security, privacy and industry. This blog post is a summary … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet, Snoopers charter, surveillance | 4 Comments

Topical subjects….

Posted on November 9, 2012 by

I was struck by something yesterday: the things that I research and teach about seem to be becoming more and more topical. What drove it home was the Philip Schofield/David Cameron incident on ITV’s This Morning – happening in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Defamation, Identity, Internet, Privacy | 5 Comments

Annoyed by those cookie warnings?

Posted on July 2, 2012 by

…spread your anger! I’m sure you know the warnings I’m talking about – at least you do if you’re in the European Union. Warnings that appear almost every time you look at a new page on the web, telling you … Continue reading →

Posted in consent, Cookies Directive, Internet, Phorm, Privacy | 7 Comments

The snoopers charter

Posted on June 26, 2012 by

I have just made a ‘short submission’ to the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) regarding the Draft Communications Data Bill – I’ve reproduced the contents below. I have reformatted it in order to make it more readable here, but … Continue reading →

Posted in data retention, Freedom of expression, Internet, Privacy, surveillance | 10 Comments

Votes for kids?

Posted on June 25, 2012 by

Earlier today I retweeted a tweet suggesting that we lower the voting age from 18 to 16. It was just a ‘casual’ retweet, on the spur of the moment, but when the excellent Owen Blacker (@owenblacker on twitter) challenged me … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet, Law, surveillance | 10 Comments

Labour and the ‘Snoopers’ Charter’…

Posted on June 19, 2012 by

The draft Communications Data Bill – dubbed, pretty accurately in my view, as the ‘Snoopers’ charter’ – has already been the subject of a great deal of scrutiny. I’ve blogged about it a number of times, as have many others … Continue reading →

Posted in data retention, Internet, Privacy, surveillance | 1 Comment

A wake up call?

Posted on May 7, 2012 by

A couple of years ago I was teaching a class in IT law, and the subject of surveillance came up. I tried not to let my own opinions colour the debate, and listened while one student after another talked quite happily … Continue reading →

Posted in CCTV, data retention, Human Rights, Internet, Privacy, surveillance | 15 Comments